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Library fair drops anchor at Village Green

Philip Wood • The TelegraphCaptain Morgan teaches people to insult like a pirate at “Pirate Skool” Saturday morning at Village Green Park next to the El Dorado Hills Library when the Privateers of the Dauntless sailed in for the fourth annual library pirate fair.

More than 1,500 locals stormed the El Dorado Hills Branch Library on Saturday for the fourth annual Pirates at the Library Festival.
“The day has gone most wondrous well,” said Carolyn Brooks, youth services librarian. “It’s a fun one. I just like the community. It takes a pirates’ village to raise a community.”
Julie McIntosh, of El Dorado Hills, brought her son Reed, 6, and daughter Emily, 9, to the festival.
“We just walked over from our house. It’s a great event,” McIntosh said. “We’ve come out here almost every year, and they actually learn stuff out here.”
She said her children prepared for the festival by playing with their pirates play set at home and acted like pirates to get into character.
“My favorite part is the fencing because it’s not planned like the puppet show — it was all spontaneous,” Emily said. “I also really like the snow cones.”
The fencing performance was presented by Blackfriars Fencing, a group based out of Carson City, Nev.
“This is the most historical use of these weapons that you will see because we are taking them from period texts,” said Chandler Brown, 25, a member of the fencing group for seven years.
This is the second year the reenactment group has attended the El Dorado Hills festival.
“It’s a fun place (and) very family friendly,” Brown said. “We like spreading this knowledge. This is a part of European heritage.”
Donna Cowin, of El Dorado Hills, attended the festival for the first time with her two children, Chase, 6, and Jordan, 8.
“The ship was my favorite part,” said Chase. “I got to talk to the captain.”
The event worked to promote National Library Card Drive month to gear people into the library, said Brooks.
The day included sword fighting, archery, catapult demonstrations, face painting, free games and activities. The Blarney Band also performed live music.
The two-day festival began Friday with private field trips for local schools.
“We go to the library all the time, at least once a week,” said Cowin. “We came out because (Chase) loves the pirates.”
For more information on other library events, call (916) 358-3501 or visit eldoradolibrary.org.